The Wolf King’s Den

After several detours and corrections guided by the system, Lin Shenyue finally located her objective.

Frangondo was currently engaged in battle with an unknown wolf-type monster, his health having plummeted to a perilous one-fifth of its total. Even at one-fifth, an NPC’s health pool was substantial, amounting to 500 hit points.

Lin Shenyue checked her quest log once more. The objective had updated: [Assist Frangondo in defeating the Crippled Sky Direwolf.]

‘It seems I didn’t take a wrong turn after all,’ Lin Shenyue thought, patting her still-developing chest in relief. Without hesitation, she cast both ‘Healing Spell’ and ‘Cure’ upon Frangondo.

Sensing the surge of healing energy, Frangondo’s spirits lifted. He spared a quick glance for Lin Shenyue before plunging back into the fierce struggle against the Crippled Sky Direwolf.

Seizing a moment, Lin Shenyue quickly assessed the status of both the man and the beast.

Frangondo (Elite Soldier): Level: 12. HP: 940/2500. Physical Attack: 180-210.

Crippled Sky Direwolf (Elite): Level: 12. HP: 5800/7000. Physical Attack: 240-270.

From these statistics, it was clear that Frangondo was no match for the monster. Without Lin Shenyue’s intervention, he would undoubtedly perish.

However, with Lin Shenyue present, this disadvantage was easily overcome. After all, her healing averaged 150 points per second, and with the added protection of Sacred Light Shield, dealing with the monster became relatively simple.

After a full minute, Frangondo successfully slew the Crippled Sky Direwolf, as expected. He then approached Lin Shenyue and performed a standard knight’s bow.

“Esteemed Miss Priest, thank you for your assistance,” he declared. “Otherwise, I would most certainly have lost my life.”

Lin Shenyue’s mouth twitched at being called ‘Miss.’ She nearly blurted out a retort, but thankfully, she remembered he was an NPC—and her quest NPC at that. Cursing him would surely doom her mission.

Forcing a smile, Lin Shenyue replied, “Greetings, Sir Knight. You may simply call me Yue’er.”

“Very well, Miss Yue’er,” Frangondo stated seriously. Lin Shenyue nearly collapsed. After all that, she was still a ‘Miss.’

Frangondo, oblivious to Lin Shenyue’s inner turmoil, continued gravely, “Are you the one sent by the Vermilion Bird City Lord to assist me?”

Lin Shenyue instantly understood. Though puzzled as to why Vermilion Bird had become a City Lord, she nodded. “Yes, the Vermilion Bird City Lord learned of your peril and specifically dispatched me to help you. May I inquire about your mission?”

Frangondo pondered for a moment before responding, “The Vermilion Bird City Lord sent me to investigate this area. It is said that the wolf packs here have become agitated, attacking anyone who passes through. My original intention was to infiltrate covertly, but I did not expect the wolf pack’s territory to have expanded this far, trapping me.”

Lin Shenyue considered this. “So, what do we need to do now?”

Frangondo thought for a moment before finally saying, “I have located the wolf pack’s den, but there are at least ten elite wolves along the way, some even moving in pairs. I hope you can devise a plan for our actions. The City Lord has already stated that I am to follow your commands.”

Lin Shenyue felt a pang of exasperation. To think that she, with her terrible sense of direction, would be put in command! She truly feared leading them to some unknown place.

However, she could still consult Frangondo, which was a small comfort. Otherwise, she would truly be at a loss.

“Lead me to the vicinity of the den first,” Lin Shenyue instructed Frangondo.

Frangondo nodded, then led Lin Shenyue deeper into the forest.

As Lin Shenyue followed, she paid close attention to the changing environment. From Vermilion Bird’s words, she knew this mission was unusually difficult. She had to constantly observe her surroundings to utilize every possible advantage.

Simultaneously, her mind raced, calculating every usable piece of terrain nearby. According to Frangondo, their objective was merely to investigate, which likely meant they would need to retreat after completing their observations. The retreat route had to be meticulously planned.

Not far into the forest, they encountered their first monster, another Crippled Sky Direwolf. Seeing that it had no companions nearby, Lin Shenyue decisively chose to eliminate it, reducing potential pressure for their subsequent actions.

After a minute and a half, they successfully killed the wolf. The wolf dropped virtually nothing, only providing a small amount of experience, which was surprisingly less than what elite monsters outside would offer.

Lin Shenyue peered through the forest. Their next position was already quite close to the den, and she could see several wolves roaming, often in pairs.

She carefully observed the wolves, noting their close proximity and the difficulty in gauging their aggro range. After some thought, she asked, “Can you pull the wolves one group at a time?”

Frangondo glanced at them, then reluctantly replied, “I am not entirely confident I can pull them in pairs without alerting the others.”

Lin Shenyue frowned slightly. At such a distance, Ye Jue would have easily pulled them all. Clearly, even a warrior with professional skills in the game lacked Ye Jue’s combat awareness and precise techniques.

Lin Shenyue continued to study the wolf pack’s movements. “Do you have a way to determine the wolf pack’s aggro range?”

Frangondo answered decisively, “There’s no need to determine it. The wolf pack’s aggro range is ten meters. I confirmed it the moment the first wolf spotted me.”

Lin Shenyue observed for a while longer, noting the intricate overlaps in the wolf pack’s aggro ranges. However, she noticed a brief window where they could slip through directly. With her exceptional calculating ability, Lin Shenyue finally pinpointed a route.

She called Frangondo over. “I’ve found a path. While the wolves’ patrol routes mostly overlap, covering all paths, every two minutes there’s a five-second window where a gap in their patrol leaves a path uncovered by aggro. This will allow us to rush into the den.”

“The only uncertainty is what lies inside the den. If it’s safe, we’ll have time to regroup. But if we encounter several direwolves immediately upon entering, we might well perish there.”

Frangondo paused, then suddenly realized something and stated resolutely, “We go in. This den is very likely the Wolf King’s territory. The pack would not dare to enter it; they can only guard outside. The Wolf King would kill any who trespass inside.”

Lin Shenyue nodded. Indeed, as an NPC, Frangondo understood these matters far better than any player. She fixed her gaze on the wolf pack’s movements, and the instant a gap appeared, she abruptly declared, “Look, a gap has opened in the middle of the wolf pack! Observe the position of the fissure, then charge in the next time it appears.”

Frangondo nodded in understanding, carefully observing the fissure’s position and calculating the precise moment to charge.

Two minutes later, when the wolf pack’s aggro range once again spread thin, Lin Shenyue commanded, “Charge!” With that, she activated the acceleration skill on her ring and dashed forward.

As a knight, Frangondo’s speed was slightly slower than Lin Shenyue’s. However, he possessed ‘Charge,’ a common skill for warriors after job advancement. Just as Lin Shenyue was nearing the end of her sprint, he targeted her with ‘Charge,’ canceling it just before impact. He too successfully made it inside the den.